Marc Atkinson is known as one of Canada’s finest JUNO-nominated, Western Canadian award winning musicians who is leader and composer of the internationally renowned The Marc Atkinson Trio as well as cofounder, composer and performer in The Bills.
The trio consists of Marc Atkinson on acoustic lead guitar, Reuben Wier or Chris Frye on acoustic rhythm guitar and Joey Smith on stand up bass.
The group, often praised for their demanding technical and melodic skills, has just released their fourth album titled “The Marc Atkinson Trio IV” which is being called their best work to date by many – a large compliment when looking at their past success. “The Marc Atkinson Trio II” was voted one of the top five albums in North America by Acoustic Guitar Magazine and “The Marc Atkinson Trio III” was nominated for Outstanding Album Award at the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2006.
The trio, who formed in 2000, has toured North America, England, and Europe and has performed at venues such as the Montreal Jazz Festival as well as the Vancouver International Folk Festival to name a few of the many, and on March 28 they were in Ponoka at the Kinsmen Community Centre from 7 to 10:30 p.m.
The 145 people in attendance got to enjoy a delicious casual dinner prepared by Bob Hepp and the smooth, laid back rhythm, blues and folk style performance of the trio.
At the event, The Ponoka Performing Arts Society announced it would not be presenting next year in an effort to rebuild its volunteer base. They usually put on three performances per year but will take the 2009-2010 season off so they can regroup and recharge for the highly anticipated 2010-2011 season.
They are currently seeking new members, so anyone interested in joining a club that has a lot to offer the community in addition to having a lot of fun, is asked to send an e-mail to ponokaperformingarts@live.ca or to phone Janice at 403-783-8541 in the evenings.
For more information on the Marc Atkinson Trio, visit www.marcatkinson.com